Dr Hajer Kilani - Deguiche, Sub-Regional Representative for North Africa. Tunis, Tunisia.
On 1 July 2026, Dr Hajer Kilani officially joined the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as Sub-Regional Representative for North Africa, replacing Dr Rachid Bouguedour, who has taken up retirement after 14 years at the helm of the Office.
Based in Tunis, she will lead WOAH’s Sub-Regional Representation for North Africa and work closely with the Member Countries of the sub-region – Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia – to support the implementation of the Organisation’s mandate, strengthen Veterinary Services and to promote WOAH’s strategic priorities in the areas of animal health, animal welfare, veterinary public health and the ‘One Health’ approach.
She will also collaborate closely with WOAH’s Regional Representation for Africa, the Organisation’s Headquarters and regional and international partners.
A Tunisian national, Dr Hajer Kilani holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and has over eighteen years’ experience within the Veterinary Services of Tunisia. Before joining WOAH, she served as Deputy Director responsible for communication, training and international cooperation at the Directorate-General of Veterinary Services.
Throughout her career, she has led numerous national and regional initiatives aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Veterinary Services, developing international partnerships and promoting effective veterinary governance. In particular, she has coordinated several cooperation projects funded by the European Union and led capacity-building activities in collaboration with WOAH, FAO and other technical and financial partners.
A long-standing collaborator of WOAH, Dr Kilani has served as the National Focal Point for Communication since 2010. In this capacity, she has played an active role in the Organisation’s regional activities, initiatives to strengthen Veterinary Services, PVS Pathway missions, as well as numerous regional networks and working groups. This experience has provided her with in-depth knowledge of the priorities and animal health challenges facing Member Countries in North Africa.
Dr Kilani will use her expertise to strengthen regional cooperation and dialogue with Members and partners, with a view to contributing to more resilient Veterinary Services and better prevention of animal health threats in the sub-region.
Proficient in Arabic and French, as well as English as a working language, Dr Hajer Kilani can be contacted at the following address: [email protected] or [email protected]
